d judicious conduct, and promising to
support him "in his fixed purpose of exemplary retaliation." He
accordingly ordered a selection to be made by lot, for the above
purpose, from among the British officers, prisoners at Lancaster, in
Pennsylvania. The lot fell upon Captain Charles Asgill, of the guards,
a youth only nineteen years of age, of an amiable character, and only
son and heir of Sir Charles Asgill, a wealthy baronet. The youth bore
his lot with firmness, but his fellow prisoners were incensed at Sir
Henry Clinton for exposing him to such a fate by refusing to deliver
up the culprit. One of their number, a son of the Earl of Ludlow,
solicited permission from Washington to proceed to New York and lay
the case before Sir Guy Carleton, who had succeeded in command to Sir
Henry Clinton. The matter remained for some time in suspense.

Lippencott was at length tried by a court-martial, but acquitted, it
appearing that he had acted under the verbal orders of Governor
Franklin, president of the Board of Associated Loyalists. The British
commander reprobated the death of Captain Huddy, and broke up the
board.

These circumstances changed in some degree the ground upon which
Washington was proceeding. He laid the whole matter before Congress,
admitted Captain Asgill on parole at Morristown, and subsequently
intimated to the secretary of war his private opinion in favor of his
release, with permission to go to his friends in Europe. In the
meantime Lady Asgill, the mother of the youth, had written a pathetic
letter to the Count de Vergennes, the French minister of State,
imploring his intercession in behalf of her son. The letter was shown
to the king and queen, and by their direction the count wrote to
Washington, soliciting the liberation of Asgill. Washington referred
to Congress the communication from the count, and urged a favorable
decision. To his great relief, he received their directions to set
Captain Asgill at liberty.

The solicitude felt by Washington on account of the universal
relaxation of the sinews of war, was not allayed by reports of pacific
speeches, and motions made in the British parliament, which might be
delusive. "Even if the nation and parliament," said he, "are really in
earnest to obtain peace with America, it will, undoubtedly, be wisdom
in us to meet them with great caution and circumspection, and by all
means to keep our arms firm in our hands; and instead of relaxing one
iota in our e